Social Question

Can I dye my hair with out bleaching it?

My best friend Maddie had brown hair just like mine. But her hair is straight and kind of wavy, my hair is fully curly. She just recently dyed her hair red. She told me she did it without bleaching her hair, and it looks really good. So I told my mom this story, and I asked if I can dye my hair red too, since my best friend ever did (which she knows that), and she said no. I don’t understand what the big deal is. Why?

11 Answers

If you want a bright colour and your natural colour is dark, the dye will likely just give you highlights or a shade that’s only noticeable in the sun. My hair is naturally a very dark brown (almost black), and if I want to colour my hair lighter than it is, I have to bleach it to get really good results.

Some newer dyes, like Garnier’s 100% Colour are better at lightening naturally dark hair without pre-bleaching, but that’s the only one I’ve used that works well.

Think about it this way: if you draw on a white piece of paper with a yellow crayon, then use a red crayon over top of that, you’ll see the red. If you use a red crayon over top of a brown one, you won’t notice it nearly as much.

Hair types can lead to different results as well. If you’re of a different ethnicity than your friend, her hair might be more apt to colour than yours is.

Well, I hate to say this, but if you presented it to your Mom the way you just presented it to us, it sounds like you’re saying you want to do it just because your friend did it. Not saying that’s your reason, but that’s what it sounds like. Maybe your Mom thinks that 13 is just too young to dye your hair. No figuring out Moms being one myself, I get it she has her reasons, and all you can do is ask why.

You can get wash in, wash out colours sachets – why not ask your mother if you can buy one of those in a nice bright red shade? She might let you try it since you just have to wash your hair a couple of times to get it out.

@JilltheTooth Well, I did say it to her like I said it to you all, but I’ve been wanting to dye my hair for about a year now. Nothing’s working, I don’t know what else to do. This is the one thing that I really want. I even told I don’t have to have a Christmas! My friend is the same age as I am. It just doesn’t seem fair.

@blueberry_kid : I don’t know about the specific brand names of temporary hair dyes, but in general they are safer than permanent dyes. Maybe put together some research for your mom. It still may not work, she may have strong feelings about this, and just or unjust, she’s still the boss… ;-)

@blueberry_kid Natural Instincts makes temporary hair dye that washes out in about 6 weeks, maybe she will let you do that so it will be out by the time you go back to school. It could be a compromise. I use the product all the time, check the side of the box to make sure the color you pick will work on your color hair. Follow the directions well, read them all the way through before you start.

You do not want to bleach your hair. First time bleach kills your hair. Bleach really shouldn’t be used at home at all by first-time dyers. If you don’t do it right, it will look awful and you will regret it. Would you rather have pretty natural colored hair or dry, brittle, off-colored red hair?

I suggest dying it with a darker red color. Look at the box. It should have your current color on the side of it, with a prediction of the end result. If you buy one that is suggested for lighter color hair, you will not notice it at all. I have liked Garnier 100%, like @Seelix . If you have long, thick hair, buy two boxes. The more you use, the more likely your hair is to get even color. Don’t go with Natural Instincts for red color. It will never come out. I know from personal experience.

Here is the website for Natural Instincts the temp hair color. The creme is the easiest product to use. You can see the red shades on the bottom left. You can show the website to your mom. Don’t do it without her permission.